A New Mission
by Darkl26139
Summary: Samantha Carter resumes command of Atlantis after a devastating Wraith attack. Warning: character deaths All writers enjoy knowing if their work is liked so please review.
1. Chapter 1

**A New Mission**

In the _Independence_'s mess hall, Colonel Carter sits staring at the passing stars lost in her memories. She always hates the 2 week journey to Atlantis because it gives her far too much time to think. As usual she thinks of her old comrades. One in particular.

She thinks it a great crime that such a noble hero as Jack O'Neil died all alone at his cabin. They found him lying next to his fishing pole. A massive heart attack they told her. Even with all the tech she has found over the years, there would have been nothing she could have done to save him they told her. They don't understand that she should have been there to at least hold his hand. She will never forgive herself for letting her duty keep her from him. He was the one she had waited for and she never had the will to act on it. Why hadn't she just told him? That is a question she ponders ever night before sleep claims her.

When they offered her command of Atlantis again she jumped at it. This is just what she needs to keep her going. Saving the universe is about the only thing that will help her get past Jack's Death. She wipes the tears that run down her cheeks. She misses him so much.

Deciding she has been melancholy long enough today, she forces down the rest of her now cold meal and heads back to her work station. There she reviews the latest intel on Atlantis one more time. She has read the material several times already but she figures once more won't hurt. She does not want to miss anything. She was a bit overwhelmed the first time she was in command of Atlantis and she is determined not to let that happen again.

Reviewing the battle report, she feels sorry for Commander Woolsey. What happened wasn't his fault but he was in command so he took full responsibility. She admires him for that decision. He has never been her favorite person but she has come to respect him. When she arrived, he would turn over command and head back to Earth to face the Earth Council. He will probably take pride in being the first person court-martialed by the new Earth government. It is an amazing thing to see the major powers united for the good of Earth.

She will have a lot to do when she arrives. The Wraith attack caused massive damage to the city. The city's shields and cloak were destroyed which leaves the city painfully vulnerable. Best estimate say it will be months before the city is back up and running.

As for the USS _Daedalus, _it will takes several weeks before she is space worthy. The fact that her commander was able to bring her down intact at all is a testament to his skill.

The _Independence_ is carrying new shield generators based on Asgard technology but Earth still has not been able to replicate the cloaking technology. Also, the new improved beam weapons will help. The _Independenc_e's two sister ships will head to Atlantis as soon as they clear the shipyards.

No one knows where the ten hive ships came from. As far as Todd and their other allies knew, no one faction commanded that many hives. All ten hives were destroyed in the battle and the search of the debris has not turned up anything. It is critical to Earth and her allies that the source of this attack be found.

Eventually, she is exhausted enough to sleep so she makes her way thru the hallways to reach her quarters. She nods and half waves to the crew she passes. They are all good people but not friends. They understand her pain and so keep their distance.

Her bedtime routine only takes a few minutes so she cannot stall very long. She turns off the light and tries to sleep but he is there waiting for her. In the dark, she cannot escape him. She sees his faint smirk/smile despite the darkness. She wants to reach out and touch him. She wants to tell him everything in her heart but she knows he is not really here. Her rational mind explains this is just part of the grieving process but knowing that doesn't make the nights any better. She fights her tears as she sleep finally claims her.

When the _Independence_ arrives in orbit, Sam beams down right away. She salutes the staff on hand and heads for Woolsey's office. Protocol states she should have contacted Woolsey before beaming down but she didn't want to waste any time. Also, knowing Woolsey, he would have felt it necessary to hold some sort of ceremony and no one had the time for that.

Woolsey looks up as his office door opens. He figured she would come straight down so he is not surprised. He motions for her to sit but she declines with a shake of her head. "It is good to see you again Colonel" he says.

"Call me Sam." she replies.

He is deeply touched by her words. He knows she is not one of his biggest fans. Particularly after he replaced her here not all that long ago. He doubts he could be as gracious in her place. "I was just finishing my final report. I had hoped to have it done before you arrived but the last part is proving hard than I thought. I just can't seem to find the words." he admits.

"I know how hard it is to lose people under your command and how much harder it is when they are your friends." Sam sympathizes.

Woolsey is grateful for her understanding but he knows it was his fault. He should have been more prepared. He should have had another option. Sheppard and his team shouldn't have had to sacrifice themselves. He tells Sam "Thanks."

They then get down to the details of the transfer of command. Several hours later it is official, Sam is in command once again. Still she lets Woolsey perform one last act as commander.

At the memorial service, Woolsey addresses the surviving staff. His speech is surprisingly moving and heartfelt. Sam can't concentrate on the speech though. Jack fills her thoughts again. She imagines him standing solemnly slightly behind Woolsey. She even imagines him saluting when the coffins are sent thru the gate. The tear that rolls unchecked down her cheek touches everyone who notices it so it doesn't matter that it is there for more than those they lost.

With that painful last duty completed, Woolsey takes his leave thru the gate. He will be traveling back to Earth using the new gateway station that the _Independence_ dropped off on their way. He felt it best to travel with his fallen staff. He explained that he owed it to them to see them home.

The first few weeks with Sam in command fly by. There is so much to do; she actually manages to keep her mind occupied. She works so hard that Dr. Keller has to order her to take a day off. It will be a long day.

As she stares across this world's ocean trying to gain control of her emotions, she hears footsteps behind her. A hand is placed on her shoulder as Dr. McKay's head comes into her view. Just what she doesn't need right now.

"I heard about Jack. If you want to talk, well, I am sure Dr. Keller will be happy too." he says while trying to do his little laugh.

It is not a good joke but she still smiles. She turns to face him. "I know Sheppard and Talia were good friends of yours." she replies.

"That is the hardest part of what we do. It hurts losing our friends." McKay manages to say with sympathy and pain. There is no hint of his arrogance.

She finds herself crying in his arms. She is in command. This is a major violation of protocol but his tears in her hair make it ok.

When they have collected themselves, McKay looks her in the eyes and stammers in his McKay way "I am sorry to tell you this but I am leaving. You see Dr. Keller, Jennifer, and I have been dating for a few months now. Well, I think she is the one. I want to marry her. After what happened, I realized this is no place to try and raise a family. We are going back to Earth. I am sorry. Please understand."

'Damn' she thinks but she does understand so she says "Of course I do. I am glad you found someone." Another person in her life leaving. It is better this way actually. It will make it easier for her to restart.

McKay leaves with Jennifer before the end of the month. In fact, nearly half the remaining staff have rotated back to Earth. She can't blame them. They have been thru hell. Atlantis is not short staffed. There are still plenty of eager volunteers anxious to visit another galaxy. All this changes proves helpful to Sam. It allows her to make a new start. She just wishes she could get Jack off her mind. She still sees him right before she falls asleep but at least she doesn't seem in the hallways anymore.

By the end of her second month in command, the city is nearly completely repaired. The _Daedalus _is fully functional and has joined the _Independence_ in orbit. There have been no new worlds explored but contact with their existing allies has been fully restored. Also, there has been no sign of their mysterious attacker.

Tod, their wraith ally, has verified that there are no unaccounted for hives. Whoever these wraith were they weren't local. Tod guesses they may have been from a nearby galaxy. Ancient records in Wraith possession indicate that the Ancients sent several hives out to explore before their war started. Tod is convinced these Ancient wraith had returned convinced the war was still on. Sam is not so sure. The ship did not try to communicate. They just attacked. Also, how did they find Atlantis? It is not even in the same star system as it was during the war. Something else is going on but what?

Part of the answer comes to her when the battle salvage teams recover part of one of the hive's navigation computers. The device is smashed but it indicates that these wraith were tracking some sort of signal coming from Atlantis. What it does not tell is exactly what type of signal. Sam immediately orders a details scan and check of all emission coming from Atlantis but they don't find anything.

Frustrated but not defeated she orders her science team to compare the logs from just before the attack with now. Their analysis takes a few days but produces surprising results. The city was indeed sending a signal. A day before the attack one of the science teams had discovered another Ancient lab. While studying the equipment, they had turned on several devices. One of which started sending a signal in a very unusual frequency. Instead of the subspace signals and hyperspace signals used by the majority of tech races, this sent a signal thru a fold in space. Unlike a wormhole which connects to separate locations, this technology actual bends space so two distant point touch. This is a stunning discover. If this technology can be applied to a ship's drive, entire galaxies could be crossed in a second. This would be a much faster and more versatile method of travel than even the stargate system. According to the records found in the lab, the ancients stopped pursuing this technology even though they had several working prototypes. Why they stopped using it is a complete mystery. Using this information, Sam reanalysis the wraith attack pattern. They clearly devoted all their firepower to stopping that signal. Her review of the battle reveals another disturbing fact. It was not the heroic sacrifice of John and his pilots but she believes the ships suicide as soon as the signal was stopped. Two of the hive ships which were rammed by jumpers where hit in areas that should not have caused their complete destruction. In fact, if all the ship's firepower was not focused on the breaking thru the city's shields, their space forces would have been wiped out. Unfortunately, this raise more questions than it answers. The wraith are not known for their self sacrifice so what caused them to?

Sam contacts Todd and sends him her findings. The information means nothing to him but one of his subordinates mentions something. Todd replies "That is just a legend."

Curious, Sam inquires "What legend?"

"My apologies but my subordinate is referring to one of our more obscure creation myths. According to the legend, one group of Ancients were bent of conquering the universe. This group was rumored to be even more aggressive than the Ori. It is said they created the wraith to be their foot soldiers. The problem is there is nothing in our history to that confirms this. There is no evidence of this other group. I do not believe it to be more than a, what is the word, fairytale." Todd explains.

"Well, if you think these wraith are from another galaxy, why couldn't they be from this other group of Ancients?" Sam asks. Her facial features tighten as she tries to focus on this concept. Something is tugging at the edge of her mind but she just can't place it.

"While it is possible and even likely that other hives moved out of this region to find food, it is impossible that any wraith would still serve any Ancients. Besides, if this group was as hostile as believed, we would have heard of them. Have you heard of them?"

"No but it triggered something. I just can't place it. Well, let me know if you come up with anything." Sam says as she breaks contact.

Since her shift ended 4 hours ago, she decides she better grab some dinner and get to her room before the new medical officer, Allison Morgan, comes to check up on her. She may look like your grandmother but boy she runs a tight medical department. She has been driving everyone crazy by insisting they get all physicals, shots and other treatments described in the manual. Everyone had gotten a bit lax about regular check ups but not anymore. Sam does not want to sit thru another "everyone needs to eat and sleep dear" lectures. She has never met anyone who can make so many adults feel like they are 5 all over again.

Taking her tray back to her room, Sam sits at her console while munching on her dinner. The chicken on her salad is surprisingly good. In the military you get use to some pretty bad food but the new chief is a master.

Jack is standing in front of her. His lips are moving but she can't make out what he is saying. He reaches out his hand to touch her. When their fingers meet, Sam jolts awake. "Another dream. I wish I could just get over him." she thinks. Yawning and orienting herself, she realizes she fell asleep at her computer console. Her face had landed on the key board and had triggered a number of random commands. Laughing at herself for falling asleep, she stops. There on the screen it clicks. The Asgard! Of course! Sam calls up the copy of the Asgard database and starts a search. In seconds she finds what she was seeking. The Asgard history file describes a war which she had initial believed was a reference to the wraith/ancient war but upon closer examination she discovers that the timing is wrong. This war is nearly two centuries earlier. It also mentions the Ancients occupying a much large section of the universe than believed. Unfortunately, the records are not that detailed. She does have an idea on how to get more details.

She pulls the mission Daniel once told her about. He and McKay had been captured by Asgard living in this galaxy. They had been hiding from the Ancient/Wraith war. They might have more details on the war mentioned. But how to contact them? The first meeting had not gone well. Snapping her fingers it comes to her. She knows exactly what to trade them for the information she wants.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the long delay in updating. Sometimes a story just flies out of my head. Other times, like with this story, it sticks a bit longer. Enjoy.**

Part II

It takes several weeks but Sam's team is able to locate the Lost Tribe of Asgard's new home world. Taking personal command of the "Independence" she orders it to fly at best speed to the Asgard home world.

As the "Independence" drops out of hyperspace and into orbit, 2 ships are waiting for them. The vessel matches the configuration of the one from their previous encounter. The ships immediately open fire. The "Independence" shields hold but won't last forever. Sam hails the attacking vessels "This is Samantha Carter of Atlantis. Our intentions are not hostile. The earlier incident between our peoples was regretful and cost lives on both sides. I am here to open relations in an effort to prevent future tragedies."

Neither ship lessons its assault. Sam orders her crew to fire a warning shot. Thor's people were much further along in their weapons development than these Asgard. The beam weapons the "Independence" is equipped with could gut either vessel with one on or two hits.

When the attacking ships witness the firepower of the "Independence", they break off. One ship lines up to ram the "Independence." Seeing what is about to happen, Sam adds to her hail "We have a database containing all of the knowledge accumulated by the Asgard we knew. I am prepared to enter negotiations for it."

This news does what she hopes. The ship preparing to ram breaks off and the planet sends a hailing signal. The Asgard who appears on the screen bears some similarities to Thor but Sam has been around enough Asgard to notice the difference in skin tone, shape of the eyes, etc. The Asgard says "The database belongs to us. You will turn it over immediately. Our cousins would never have given it to you if they knew of our existence."

"The Asgard were loyal allies. Several were my friends. Thor in particular I considered a close friend. Their deaths were more off a loss to us than to you. You abandoned them centuries ago. You have no claim to anything they accomplished. However, in the spirit of building a relationship I will send you some of the history files. In exchange, you will transmit to us you history files. Once this good faith transaction is completed, we can sit down in Atlantis to discuss trading the technology included in the database." Sam informs the Asgard.

"Very well" is the terse reply.

Sam gives the order to transfer the promised data. She waits several minutes till the Asgard keep their side of the arrangement and transmit their history files. As she hoped, they assumed she is only truly interested in their technology and so they don't consider the history files to have any real value. She hopes they are wrong. With luck their history will have the information she needs to prove her theory.

Sam hails the planet once more "Thank you. Please contact us (sends transmitting information) with dates on which you wish to commence negotiations. I look forward to our next meeting."

She is ordering the "Independence" to return to Atlantis when they receive a hail from the planet. The same Asgard she spoke with before appears on her screen "We wish to open negotiations immediately. I will be beaming on board my ship shortly and we will accompany you back to Atlantis."

"Very well. Signal when you are ready to leave." Sam replies. '_Damn, I was hoping they would take some time to plan before wanting to meet. I underestimated how badly they want this database._' she thinks to herself. She contacts Atlantis so the preparations can start.

On the trip back to Atlantis Sam turns command over to Major Thomson so she can focus on the newly acquired history files. She is pleased to see much greater detail on this earlier war. An ancient faction calling themselves Necomanus had conquered all the star systems that are in the gate network and then some. Necomanus encountered something referred to as the dragon's empire or something like that. The translation is not perfect. This empire soundly defeated the Necomanus. After destroying almost all of the Ancient's, the empire withdrew. The files reference a treaty but there isn't a copy in the files.

While the history files don't provide an exact location, they do give her a rough area of space which just so happens to be where the wraith that attacked Atlantis came from. She would like to order the ship to change course but she knows she can't. An alliance with the Asgard would be useful. She contacts Atlantis and asks that they contact Earth to send a negotiator as soon as possible.

When she arrives at Atlantis she is pleased to see that Earth has sent Senator Charles Kelly to negotiate with the Asgard. He is true politician and must be loving the chance to negotiate with another species. Luckily, there is nothing on the line really as Sam fully intends to give these Asagard a copy of the database. she knows Thor would want her to share their legacy with his long lost brothers.

Sam jumps and puts her hand on her heart to calm herself. She saw Jack again. This time right in the hallway. He looked at her with his special smile and wave and disappeared again. With all they have encountered, she would love to think he was somehow still alive but she knows better. She saw the body. Beside there is no way Jack would Ascend. He had too much contempt for "higher" beings to join their club. _Should I seek some help? I know I am having a hard time with his death but I thought it was getting better. I haven't seen him, at least, awake in a few weeks now. Is my mind going? _

With no answers, Sam decides to just focus on her quest to find out about this empire of the dragon. If it was able to soundly defeat the Ancients centuries ago, it would be a greater threat than even the Ori. She suspects that is why the Wraith who attacked Atlantis were willing to die. They must have been afraid turning on that device would somehow attract the Empire's attention. This Empire must truly monstrous for the Wraith to fear them so.

Losing herself in her research, Sam finds a few hours of peace. In addition, she has found more information on that lab hidden in Atlantis' database. The Ancients' system of organization reflects a very different thought process which often makes it difficult to get information out of the system with knowing the exact words to use. (Think if in England a flashlight is called a torch so if you asked an English system to find a flashlight; it wouldn't know what you are asking for)

She is not sure what time it is but she knows it is late when she finds herself in the Ancient lab. Her research indicated there would be more information on the space fold drive technology. Their equipment never ceases to amaze her. She lovingly examines several consoles.

Jack is gently rubbing her shoulders and it feels so wonderful. _ If only we had. Wait? _as Sam jerks awake. She fell asleep in the Ancient lab. She needs to get a grip. This is not good. Wait, what is that? Sam thinks as she notices a small device lying forgotten hidden under the console she was sleeping on. If she hadn't been draped over the console, she would never have noticed the device that must have fallen off the console. She pulls the device out and it feels warm in her hand. There is only one button and for some reason her cautionary scientific part of her brain is unable to stop her from pushing the button.

She waits for several minutes but nothing happens. As she starts to put the device down and head for her bed, a figure appears in the room. It is an 8' tall humanoid reptile with a thick tail. It wears some sort of uniform. As it appears, it speaks in Ancient. From its posture and body language it appears angry but then surprise crosses its features as it notices her. The figure then disappears.

Before Sam can wonder if she is still dreaming, a call from the Gate room alerts her to an unscheduled off-world activation. Sam orders the Independence to beam her directly to the Gate room as she doubts this is a coincidence.

When she appears in the Gate room, she can see the shield is up. "Drop the shield." she orders but the shield is already dropping.

"What the. I have lost control of the Gate." the tech manning the controls states.

The detachment of soldiers on duty all take aim at the Gate.

"Stand down." Sam orders as she stands in front of the Gate. As she suspected, the figure she saw steps through. Up close she can see his claws glisten in the light. As soon as he clears the Gate, it shuts down.

"We mean you no harm." she states with her hands held wide and open.

The creature doesn't reply. It does openly study her and the control room. It walks right up to her and mimics her hands apart pose while turning its head from side to side clearly searching for a reaction. All the soldiers tense and point their guns at the creature when it places a large clawed hand on Sam's head.

Sam does her best not to tense when its claw closes over her head. She signs for the guards to hold their fire and she hopes for the best. After a minute, it releases her.

"You do not belong here. Explain you presence." it says in English coping Sam's use of language exactly.

"We are explorers. We found this city. We are studying it." she answers.

"I have seen your thoughts. You are a primitive people not ready for this technology." it replies.

Its posture has changed, it seems almost relaxed but it is hard for Sam to be certain. She has the odd feeling that this is some sort of test. "We have encountered numerous species with more advanced tech than others and all of them had their difficulties. We understand the dangers involved and do out best to use the technology we find responsibly." she says confidently as she takes what she calls "Cam's aggressive stance"

"We have heard this many times. What makes your species worthy of survival?" it asks.

_Was that a threat?_ Thinking quickly, Sam has an idea. "To be honest, I don't know. We have made out share of mistakes and people have died for them. Why don't you observe our activities and then decide?" she suggests.

"Honesty; interesting. I will give your species a chance to prove yourselves." it replies.


	3. Chapter 3

Part III

"My name is Lord Draconus, ruler of the fifth house of the Draconian Empire." it continues.

"Colonel Samantha Carter of Earth." Sam replies as she offers her hand.

Lord Draconus studies her hand for a moment before gripping it gently. She is impressed at how much control he has since it is clear he could easily crush her hand.

"Perhaps we can go to my office to talk?" Sam suggests as she directs him towards her office with her arms.

"As you wish." he replies falling into step next to her.

They walk out of the Gate room with the marines still very uncomfortable as is demonstrated by the fact they track his lordship's progress with their weapons down but ready.

In her office, Sam realizes a logistics problem as she offers him a seat. With his tail and bulk he will never fit on any of her chairs. "Please forgive me. I don't have any furniture configured for you. I will have my staff see what they can come up with." Sam says as she signals for the marine outside her door to enter.

"No need to trouble yourself." he replies as he slices the back off her sofa with a blade that slid out of his forearm. The blade looks artificial and Sam notes to check the scans of him very carefully. He then drags the sofa easily over to the other side of her desk and sits.

She watches his face carefully because she is getting the feeling he is testing her again. _Did he want me to get angry over ruining one of my possessions?_ He is clearly not concerned at all about being surrounded by armed aliens. He is either very brave or very deadly. Out loud she says "Are you comfortable?"

With what she takes as an amused smile crosses his features as he replies "Quite."

Several hours of conversation reveals a little detail about his people. Apparently, the Empire is made up of thousands of different races ruled by the Empress and her court. Each world has a locally elected leader who works with a governor appointed by the Empress. It sounds like each world has a fair amount of independence which given the vastness of the Empire is probably a logistical necessity. Her efforts at getting more specifics such as the current political situation are avoid or ignored. He does grill her extensively about Earth and its role in the universe. He requests a copy of their history files which she promised to put together. She asks for a copy of the Empire's history but he ignores this request. Sam is still trying to get a feel of the situation so she doesn't push hard on anything. He repeatedly expresses concern over the level of technology Earth has access to but makes no open threats. Even so, there is no question he is deciding if Earth posses a threat to the Empire which Sam nearly laughs at as the size of the Empire dwarfs the region that Earth even knows about much less controls. Sam is exhausted with trying to reassure him Earth is not a threat while conveying the message that Earth is not a push over either.

For a moment, she sees Jack standing behind Lord Draconus and she has to shake her head to clear it. Time for a break she realizes. Unfortunately, Lord Draconus noticed her looking over his shoulder and he turned his head nearly 180 to look where she was. He gives her a look she takes for confusion when he sees there is nothing there but then he looks back. "I apologize but I am very tired. Would it be possible to take a break? If you wish to return to your people simply let me know when you will return. If not, I can have quarters set aside for you." Sam offers.

"I will stay. How much rest do you require? Also, may I see what foodstuffs you consume to see if there is something I might find palatable?" he replies.

Great job Sam. You are so tired you completely forgot to offer any sort of refreshments. If he is anything like the nobles of Earth he probably expected better treatment. No wonder he looked at me oddly when he made his own seat. I was probably supposed to refuse and insist on taking care of him. Not the best first impression. I need to get some sleep. "Please forgive me for not offering refreshments sooner. Sergeant! (the marine outside her door comes in) Please take his Lord Draconus to the mess and then to the visitors quarters. Arrange anything he requests."

"Yes sir." the young marine replies. He faces Lord Draconus and says "If you will just follow me, sir."

"I look forward to our next conversation." Lord Draconus tells Sam as he formally bows at the waist with one arm held diagonally tight across his chest.

"As do I." she replies.

Once he has left, she makes her way to her quarters and collapses on her bed. Jack is there rubbing her stress out of her shoulders and her back. She never knew he gave massages. There is so much she never knew about him. "_Oh, Jack."_

"It is ok, Sam. You are doing fine. I am proud of you." he says to her in a loving way regulations never allowed.

Sam jerks awake. Jack spoke to her. He never spoke to her before. _What is going on? I am going crazy?_ She spends the next few hours tossing and turning too confused to truly sleep.

When she enters the Gate room far later than she had meant too, she is still tired. The rest of her night was not restful. She did grab a bagel to eat on the way up but it is all she has eaten in a day and a half. She can't believe she spent 12 hours straight talking to their visitor yesterday. That time seems oddly distorted. She wonders if he did something but the city's sensors didn't detect anything.

"How is our visitor this morning?" she inquires of her second.

"He is sunning himself." Major Casey replies with a bit of humor.

Her curiosity peaked; she follows the Major's arm to the observation deck. Sure enough there is their guest lying on a section of stone basking in the sun. _I wonder if he is cold blooded like reptiles of Earth?_ Heading outside, she says "Good morning. I hope I am not disturbing you."

"Not at all, Commander." he replies.

"Please call me Sam." she says on impulse. She adds "and for future reference my title is colonel."

"As you wish, Sam" he replies.

She notices he did not offer her his first name but without knowing more about his culture she doesn't know how to react. In a few of the cultures, they have encountered first names are never used in public. She weighed the risks of insulting him but decided the best course of action is to show him as much of her real self as possible. Not that she is arrogant enough to think she represents the best humanity has to offer but because she does represent an accurate picture of being human including all its flaws.

"Since you are enjoying yourself, I will leave you. Simply let one of my staff know when you would like to continue our conversation, I will do my best to accommodate you." Sam tells him.

"Thank you, Sam. I spend far too much time in space. I truly miss the sun on my scales. Besides, you could use more rest. Let's continue our conversation tomorrow. If you wish to enjoy the sun you are welcome to join me, Sam." Lord Draconus tells her.

"I appreciate the offer but I have things to attend to. Perhaps, I can join you later." she replies. _How did he know I was still tired? He didn't even look at me. Is it that obvious in my voice? Or is there some sort of telepathic link from when he read my mind earlier. _She had better check into that theory because if he can read her mind constantly the city's security just went out the window. Cursing her carelessness for not checking to see if his scan had any side effects, Sam adjusts her plans so Medbay is her next stop.

"As you wish." he replies as he settles back down on the concrete seemly unconcerned. Even with all her experience, Sam must say Lord Draconus is going down as one of the strangest aliens she has ever met. He is making veiled threats to destroy humanity one day and the next he hasn't a care in the world as he lies in the sun. There is more going on than she can put her finger on but she will figure it out. Or so she hopes.

As Sam is crossing the Gate room on her way to medical she sees an angry Senator Kelly heading for her. She changes her course to take her into her office so she can learn what he wants.

"How dare you!" the Senator shouts as he crosses the threshold of her office.

"Excuse me?" she replies as she sits behind her desk. She really isn't in the mood for any his nonsense but she knows she has to play the political game if she wants to remain in command. Not playing is what got her in trouble last time.

Leaning over her desk, he shouts back "You have a first contact situation and you didn't even bother to inform me! I am here as Earth's representative."

"My apologizes Senator Kelly but you were involved in talks with the Asgard. As commander of this base, I made the decision not to disturbed your negations while I handled the preliminary contact. I have been meeting alien races for a long time now and recent the implication I don't know how to handle these situations." she replies far more tersely than she would normally. She is proud she remained sitting as she really would like to jump up into his face and share a few things on her mind. The number of times she has personal saved the galaxy much less Earth should have earned her the right not to be second guessed ever five minutes by clueless politicians.

"I realize there have been a number of policy changes recently which you clearly have not been updated on. If you review the latest regulations, you will see you should have notified me immediately. The days of Cowboy diplomacy are behind us. You will update me on the situation and arrange an introduction." he orders with attitude all too common to politicians.

Sam takes a deep breath and represses the all too Jack like urge to smack this twit. She offers him a seat and briefs him. She suggest since there are no talks scheduled for today a dinner to make introductions might be best. This will give the Senator time to continue the negotiations with the Asgard which, much to her amusement; don't seem to be going too well. The Asgard don't play politics and have never shown any respect for Earth's politicians. They are a logic driven race and everyone knows logic has no place in a politician's life.

Reluctantly agreeing, the Senator leaves her office. As he does, she gets another glimpse of Jack leaning against one wall smiling at her. _Why am I seeing all over the place again? Keep it together, Sam_

At dinner that evening, Senator Kelly walks over to Lord Draconus to introduce himself as soon as the alien enters the dining room. "Greetings. My name is Senator Kelly. I will be taking over negotiations for Colonel Carter I am certain given enough time we can forge a productive working relationship that will benefit both our peoples." the Senator smoothly comments.

Studying the Senator for a moment, his Lordship then asks "Let me ask you this. If you were to bet the entire fate of humanity on my opinions of just one human who would you pick? Yourself or Connell Carter?"

Swallowing loudly, he knows this answer will probably end his career but he is comforted by the knowledge that it won't end humanity. "Colonel Carter, I will inform the Earth Council that you are best suited to complete this mission."

"Thank you" Sam replies while standing with her arms behind her back. She is truly impressed that Senator Kelly is able to see past his own ego and do what is best for Earth. Maybe I should give him more credit. Then again, he may just not want the responsibility for starting another interstellar war if things go badly. She is interested in why Lord Draconus asked the Senator that question. "_How much did he learn about our culture from his scan of my mind? Did he question Senator Kelly because he sensed my dislike of the man? I have to be very careful with my thoughts. Just great I can't keep Jack off my mind, how am I going to keep an mind reading alien?"_

The rest of the diner goes smoothly although everyone is a bit thrown by Lord Draconus poor table manners. Dinner tonight is lasagna which his Lordship seems to enjoy immensely but he tries to use his claws to eat it. When that only makes a mess, he lifts his plate and dumps the food into his maw which makes slightly less mess as only some sauce runs down his jaw and onto his outfit. When he drinks from the large goblet they arranged for him he slurps loudly and then belches after commenting how much he enjoys this soda. The Senator is mortified. Several members of the Atlantis staff present are having a hard time keeping from laughing. Sam herself finds the whole thing amusing because she has the distinct feeling he is testing them again. She thinks he is trying to provoke a reaction. "_Very interesting and clever first contact tactic_." She had never thought about how much how you consume food tells others about your culture. Its too bad Daniel isn't here. He would be going nuts over their visitor.

After dinner, Sam invites Lord Draconus and the Senator to her quarters. Too her surprise the Senator declines saying "Regretfully other matters require my attention. It was a great pleasure to meet you and I look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship between our two peoples." It is only much later that Sam learns what the Senator was up to but that is a story for another time.

In her quarters, Sam has prepared a backless sofa for her guest as well as some fresh raw meat and sushi as the mess had informed her that was what he ate when there. She had put aside some wine but switches his drink for a soda after seeing how much he enjoyed it at diner. She is a tiny bit nervous about being alone with him in her quarters but only because she doesn't want to send any mixed signals. She had fully expected the Senator to join them.

When they arrive at her quarters, Lord Draconus looks around the room even opening the door to and going into her bedroom. Again Sam sense he test her. Everything he does seems designed to see how she reacts. "That is my personal sleeping chamber. It is considered rude in my culture to enter someone's sleeping chamber without being invited." she explains while waiting for his reaction.

"My apologies. I meant no offense. I was looking for a window. I don't spend much time on world so I was hoping to see the sky." he replies smoothly. His eyes watching for her reaction.

"If you prefer, we can go for a walk. I know several places to observe the night sky." she offers. She can't be sure because his alien features make it hard to interrupt his expression but she thinks he is pleased she spoke up. Thinking about it. It is the first time she has said anything even remotely negative or challenging to him. Perhaps she should set some more boundaries. This is the part she is never any good at.

"That would be acceptable. Thank you for accommodating me." he replies. As they are leaving he pauses for a second staring at something on her desk. Discreetly peering over his shoulder, she sees he is looking at her picture of Jack. He doesn't say anything about it so Sam breathes a sigh of relief on not having to open that can of worms.

"We should have." A voice she could swear is Jack's says into her ear causing her to jump for a second.

"Keep it together!" she scolds herself. Lord Draconus gives her a look which on a human would be a raised eyebrow but on his hairless face Sam isn't sure what to call the look.

"Shall we?" she suggests eager to get him out of the room and to give her a few moments on the walk to collect her thoughts. This thing with Jack is getting out of hand. She really should go see the doctor. Suddenly she remembers she meant to go see the doctor earlier before the Senator interrupted her. She taps a reminder in her wrist computer so she won't forget to go first thing in the morning.

Lord Draconus says little until they get outside. Outside he looks up at the stars above as he comments "They always look so much more magical from down here. It is good to be reminded just how small we are."

"Humility is an important trait for any species." Sam replies just marveling at the night sky. She never used to appreciate all the different skies she has been under but now she see each one as a missed opportunity with Jack. He always admired the night sky even if he tried to hide it under his gruff exterior. A thought pops into her head; she never asked Lord Draconus if he has any idea why the Wraith attacked when they detected the signal. She scolds herself "Get it together Sam. You are never this scatter brained. Maybe I should step down until I can get my head together." Turning to face her guest, she asks "When we triggered the signal that you detected, it caused another race to attack us. They were desperate to stop that signal. They died trying. Any idea why?"

Her guest doesn't answer for a minute but then he looks back up at the stars as he explains "The treaty. When the war ended with the one's you know as Ancients a treaty was signed. It demanded the Ancients avoid the Empire's boarders at all cost. No contact of any kind was to be made. That signal violated the treaty. Lucky for your people you are not bound by that treaty. However, that also means I must evaluate your culture to see how the Empire should deal with your people."

"We have no desire to fight the Empire. Even if we did, it would be madness on our part if the Empire is even half the size it was at that time. We simply don't have the resource you do. However, that doesn't mean we wouldn't fight to defend ourselves. As you saw in our database, we have defeated numerous enemies who had the technological and numerical advantage. We won't go down easy I can promise you." Sam declares.

"There is the problem. You are a violent people by your nature. Even assuming you don't pose a threat to the Empire, just how many worlds could you threaten before we destroyed you. Your people have a gift for war. It is something I respect. If I may I have a question." he poses changing the subject.

"I will answer any questions you have as best as I can without endangering any of my people's secrets." Sam replies.

"Who was he?" Lord Draconus asks catching Sam off guard.

Struggling to think of how to answer, she debates just saying it's personal but decides not too. "He was a good friend who died." she replies.

"Was he your mate?" is the next question.

Before Sam can even think about it, she answers "No but I wanted him to be." At first she is embarrassed at the open admission but then she realizes there is no need to keep it secret now. "Our careers got in the way of us being together. No, that's not right. We were both to afraid to take the risk. It is something I regret very deeply." Sam admits.

"I thought I saw the same look in your eye as in mine when my mate died. My mate died centuries ago but she still haunts me. There are so many things I should have done and said. Would you tell me of him?" Lord Draconus requests.

"I would be happy to. He was the best man I have ever met. Courageous, noble, handsome." Sam replies as she launches into a description of the man she loves. She finds tears building as she talks about Jack but they never fall. She finds herself sharing all their missions together. All the fights and the good times. All the almost moments. It is dawn before she finishes. She feels oddly better. Lighter almost. Shortly after she started talking she imagined Jack was there listening. Laughing at their memories. Denying some of his not so fine moments. Just being oh so Jack.


End file.
